The Templetons, a couple of female impersonators, who dance awkwardly, change costumes and with only fair falsetto singing, were discovered by the majority long before they removed their wigs, so the surprise at the finish was lost. The Autumn Three, two men and a woman, offered some good imitation of birds, a saw mill, etc. They have a pretty setting of a forest. The trio conclude whistling “Peggy” to a good applause.
Lawrence Brothers and Thelma were the first of the vaudeville acts to appear, the men juggled three clubs most of the time, and the lazy manner in which one of the men takes from the other got a few laughs. Thelma indulges in talk which is as infectious as her delivery. She does a sailor’s hornpipe well and assists the men with some ordinary hat juggling. Open only fair.
“How’s Your Liver?” the first of a series of scripts to be prepared by James Madison for the Will King company, was presented here this week. The scene is a health resort, with King and Dunbar is their customary roles of Leschinsky and Dooley as health seekers. The comedy bits, while built around familiar ideas, contained some new sounding dialog that gathered big laughs, especially the bit having six chorus girls as nurses labeled with various disease and the comics exchanging one disease for another, such as malaria for gout, etc.
“When Caesar Ran a Paper.” The skit was written two years ago by “Wally” Young, until recently dramatic editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, and was produced at that time at the annual show of the local press club, for which it was expressly created. It proved one of the hits of that entertainment and easily made good here last week, although in much faster company. The sketch is a travesty on editorial room life of the present day. The story deals principally with the efforts of an enterprising theatrical press agent to “land” a front page illustrated feature story of his star. The scene is laid in the private office of Caesar, “editor of Rome’s greatest daily,” and the action takes place the morning after a strenuous night before, when Caesar has been royally entertained by Marc Anthony, publicity promoter for Cleopatra, Egyptian dancer. There is a generous display of liquors, cordials and mixing paraphernalia. Caesar is diving his time between editing “copy” and mixing fizzes, when Anthony suddenly bursts in on his privacy, armed with photographs and typewritten “copy.” The dialog is bright and snappy, and the events that follow in swift succession and culminate finally in the arrival of Caesar’s wife, are ludicrously funny. The costuming is elaborate the players are clad in the conventional attire of the Caesarian Roman Empire period. Jacobs, another San Francisco newspaper man, has the part of Caesar; Young interprets the role of Anthony and Ethyl McFarland, a comedy and fairly clever danseuse, is Cleopatra. Joseph Roberts does a taxi driver “bit” and masquerades later as Mrs. Caesar. From a histrionic viewpoint, the work of the two chief principals plainly evidences a lack of acting experience, but they have a corking good vehicle and long before their Orpheum tour has been concluded they should develop the ease, stage presence and finesse of the “pro.” In its present shape the offering got over nicely here, where the co-stars have a strong personal following. On its actual merit, it should be moderately successful elsewhere.
Mansfield and Riddle, a mixed team, programmed to open, appeared second at the third show on Sunday, passed on dancing, following some inconsequential talk and singing.
Gene and Katherine King closed the vaudeville with talk and songs. Their domestic arguments and the tea wagon employed were good for laughs. The violin was used as a prop for a second time on this bill when the man sang a number comparing a girl to a fiddle.
Erford’s Golden Whirl is three women with a revolving apparatus on which they perform strong jaw and other feats in an ordinary manner. They are attractively attired and present a pretty sight act in special stage drapery.
Burt Adler enters from the left wing announcing the next act to be a famous violinist whereupon the spot is thrown on the opposite side, and he enters with a violin and goes into a monolog while threatening to play the instrument which breaks at his attempt. Adler delivers his talk well, but needs newer material. He started slowly and worked up to good finish with a couple of gags that sounded new and a recitation in the vernacular of a baseball game representing the Kaiser as the pitcher striking the Allies out one by one until Uncle Sam’s doughboy stopped to the bat.
Martin and Elliott, a good appearing male dancing team, opened. The boys have a neat dance routine embracing soft shoe and acrobatic, and for novelty do some steps on chairs.
Brown and Jackson registered strongly with comedy talk. The man’s eccentric makeup and size brought good laughs, and his attractive partner possessed good voice and was an excellent straight.
